The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar

HUMOUR AND DIALECT

Paul Laurence Dunbar

THEN AND NOW

THEN

He loved her, and through many years,

Had p

soul to win it.

We wed and parted on her complaint,

And both were a bit of barter,

Tho' I'll confess that I'm no saint,

I'll swear that she's no martyr.

FOREVER

I had not known before

Forever was so long a word.

The slow stroke of the clock of time

I had not heard.

'Tis hard to learn so late;

It seems no sad heart really learns,

But hopes and trusts and doubts and fears,

And bleeds and burns.

The night is not all dark,

Nor is the day all it seems,

But each may bring me this relief—

My dreams and dreams.

I had not known before

That Never was so sad a word,

So wrap me in forgetfulness—

I have not heard.

THE PLANTATION CHILD'S LULLABY

Wintah time hit comin'

Stealin' thoo de night;

Wake up in the mo'nin'

Evah t'ing is white;

Cabin lookin' lonesome

Stannin' in de snow,

Meks you kin' o' nervous,

Wen de win' hit blow.

Trompin' back from feedin',

Col' an' wet an' blue,

Homespun jacket ragged,

Win' a-blowin' thoo.

Cabin lookin' cheerful,

Unnerneaf de do',

Yet you kin' o' keerful

Wen de win' hit blow.

Hickory log a-blazin'

Light a-lookin' red,

Faith o' eyes o' peepin'

'Rom a trun'le bed,

Little feet a-patterin'

Cleak across de flo';

Bettah had be keerful

Wen de win' hit blow.

Suppah done an' ovah,

Evah t'ing is still;

Listen to de snowman

Slippin' down de hill.

Ashes on de fiah,

Keep it wa'm but low.

What's de use o' keerin'

Ef de win' do blow?

Smoke house full o' bacon,

Brown an' sweet an' good;

Taters in de cellah,

'Possum roam de wood;

Little baby snoozin'

Des ez ef he know.

What's de use o' keerin'

Ef de win' do blow?

TWILIGHT

'Twixt a smile and a tear,

'Twixt a song and a sigh,

'Twixt the day and the dark,

When the night draweth nigh.

Ah, sunshine may fade

From the heavens above,

No twilight have we

To the day of our love.

CURIOSITY

Mammy's in de kitchen, an' de do' is shet;

All de pickaninnies climb an' tug an' sweat,

Gittin' to de winder, stickin' dah lak flies,

Evah one ermong us des all nose an' eyes.

"Whut's she cookin', Isaac?"

"Whut's she cookin', Jake?"

"Is it sweet pertaters? Is hit pie er cake?"

But we couldn't mek out even whah we stood

Whut was mammy cookin' dat could smell so good.

Mammy spread de winder, an' she frown an' frown,

How de pickaninnies come a-tum-blin' down!

Den she say: "Ef you-all keeps a-peepin' in,

How I'se gwine to whup you, my! 't 'ill be a sin!

Need n' come a-sniffin' an' a-nosin' hyeah,

'Ca'se I knows my business, nevah feah."

Won't somebody tell us—how I wish dey would!—

Whut is mammy cookin' dat it smells so good?

We know she means business, an' we dassent stay,

Dough it's mighty tryin' fuh to go erway;

But we goes a-troopin' down de ol' wood-track

'Twell dat steamin' kitchen brings us stealin' back,

Climbin' an' a-peepin' so's to see inside.

Whut on earf kin mammy be so sha'p to hide?

I'd des up an' tell folks w'en I knowed I could,

Ef I was a-cookin' t'ings dat smelt so good.

Mammy in de oven, an' I see huh smile;

Moufs mus' be a-wat'rin' roun' hyeah fuh a mile;

Den we almos' hollah ez we hu'ies down,

'Ca'se hit's apple dumplin's, big an' fat an' brown!

W'en de do' is opened, solemn lak an' slow,

Wisht you see us settin' all dah in a row

Innercent an' p'opah, des lak chillun should

W'en dey mammy's cookin' t'ings dat smell so good.

OPPORTUNITY

Granny's gone a-visitin',

Seen huh git huh shawl

W'en I was a-hidin' down

Hime de gyahden wall.

Seen huh put her bonnet on,

Seen huh tie de strings,

An' I'se gone to dreamin' now

'Bout dem cakes an' t'ings.

On de she'f behime de do'—

Mussy, what a feas'!

Soon ez she gits out o' sight,

I kin eat in peace.

I bin watchin' fu' a week

Des fu' dis hyeah chance.

Mussy, w'en I gits in daih,

I'll des sholy dance.

Lemon pie an' gingah-cake,

Let me set an' t'ink—

Vinegah an' sugah, too,

Dat'll mek a drink;

Ef dey's one t'ing dat I loves

Mos' pu'ticlahly,

It is eatin' sweet t'ings an'

A-drinkin' Sangaree.

Lawdy, won' po' granny raih

W'en she see de she'f;

W'en I t'ink erbout huh face,

I's mos' 'shamed myse'f.

Well, she gone, an 'hyeah I is,

Back behime de do'—

Look hyeah! gran' 's done 'spected me,

Dain't no sweets no mo'.

Evah sweet is hid erway,

Job des done up brown;

Did n't cut anothah capah nary time de blessid night;

But de othah one, hit looked lak could n't git enough delight.

W'en you keeps a colt a-stan'nin' in de stable all along,

W'en he do git out hit 's nachul he 'll be pullin' mighty strong.

Ef you will tie up yo' feelin's, hyeah 's de bes' advice to tek,

Look out fu' an awful loosin' w'en de string dat hol's 'em brek.

Lucy's mammy groaned to see huh, an' huh pappy sto'med an' to',

But she kep' right on a-hol'in' to de centah of de flo'.

So dey went an' ast de pastoh ef he could n't mek huh quit,

But de tellin' of de sto'y th'owed de preachah in a fit.

Tildy Taylor chewed huh hank'cher twell she 'd chewed it in a hole,—

All de sinnahs was rejoicin' 'cause a lamb had lef de fol',

An' de las' I seed o' Lucy, she an' 'Lish was side an' side:

I don't blame de gal fu' dancin', an' I could n't ef I tried.

Fu' de men dat wants to ma'y ain't a-growin' 'roun' on trees,

An' de gal dat wants to git one sholy has to try to please.

Hit's a ha'd t'ing fu' a ooman fu 'to pray an' jes' set down,

An' to sacafice a husban' so 's to try to gain a crown.

Now, I don' say she was justified in follerin' huh plan;

But aldough she los' huh 'ligion, yit she sholy got de man.

Latah on, w'en she is suttain dat de preachah 's made 'em fas'

She kin jes' go back to chu'ch an' ax fu'giveness fu' de pas'!

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